Philanthropic organizations can contribute to the climate agenda in numerous ways. For instance, they can financially support the research and development of clean energy technologies that mitigate the impact of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, they can invest in sustainable infrastructure projects such as renewable energy, green buildings, and public transport systems. Philanthropic institutions can leverage their convening power to bring together policymakers, business leaders, and civil society organizations to address climate challenges. They can foster dialogue, promote collaboration, share best practices, and encourage collective action towards climate goals.
Philanthropic organizations can also support advocacy efforts that raise awareness of the urgency of climate change and mobilize public support for policy and behavioral changes. They can fund media campaigns, public education initiatives, and grassroots movements that promote sustainable lifestyles and push for policy reforms to address climate challenges. By working together, philanthropic institutions, governments, businesses, and civil society organizations can play a critical role in enhancing the climate agenda through multi-stakeholder partnerships to ensure a sustainable future for all.
Indonesian Philanthropy Association (Perhimpunan Filantropi Indonesia, PFI) continuously encourages its members to participate in multi-stakeholder partnerships to accelerate the SDG’s achievement and address the climate agenda. PFI collaborates with WINGS (Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support) to support International Philanthropy for Climate Change (#PhilanthropyforClimate) in Indonesia. #Philanthropy for Climate is a global movement of foundations committed to undertaking climate emergencies. As a national champion, PFI and the Climate Change Philanthropy Cluster coordinated under the PFI encourage our members to support this commitment by becoming signatories to support #PhilanthropyforClimate.
It was intriguing to observe the various Indonesian foundations that have started to prioritize climate action and adapt accordingly. For instance, one of our members, Dompet Dhuafa, became a signatory for #PhilanthropyforClimate and outlined how they use religious donations to tackle climate change. The case study noted that ahead of COP21 and the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, the issuance of the Islamic Declaration on Climate Change played a crucial role for Dompet Dhuafa. It clarified how climate action can align with Islamic principles and motivated the foundation to optimize its assets for climate action. They exchanged ideas about leveraging Islamic donation instruments for climate-relevant interventions, such as financing renewable energy projects or training farmers to make their crops more resilient to climate impacts like droughts or floods.
Those actions were then elaborated in every Climate Change Philanthropy Cluster activity and joint campaign. PFI established the Climate Change Philanthropy Cluster in 2018, which currently has 30 members consisting of corporates and foundations, to promote the involvement of philanthropy organizations to tackle environmental problems and as a discussion forum for environmental activists in providing ideas on nature conservation. We have facilitated various activities and dialogues in this Cluster to strengthen coordination and communication among members and stakeholders. The Cluster initiated the #AsikTanpaSampahPlastik (which means fun without plastic waste, a public campaign to persuade people to reduce using plastic in their daily use) movement. The initiatives ran annually and developed a series of activities, including sharing session cross-sectors, campaigns, and site visits to emphasize the need for effective waste management to reduce climate damage in the future.
To strengthen its work in the Cluster, PFI created a strategy paper as a guide for the Climate Change Philanthropy Cluster to improve and enhance its programs. The paper outlines the development of a knowledge platform that will educate and raise awareness about climate change and facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences related to climate actions. The aim is to build the capacity of PFI members and partners and to develop innovative strategies for climate financing that will help mitigate the impact of climate change. PFI collaborated with its members and organized three educational forums in the last quarter of 2022 to implement this strategy
PFI works with social entrepreneurs via the SCALE program to promote the achievement of SDGs and climate goals. The program targets young leaders and engages them in supporting the community by optimizing their role and contribution towards SDGs achievement and tackling climate change. 27 social entrepreneurs from three cities participated in the program, attending workshops and presenting their businesses during network engagement sessions with local philanthropic actors. PFI encourages collaboration among its members and stakeholders to accelerate the achievement of SDGs and climate goals. This is achieved by strengthening the network, sharing ideas and resources, developing a shared vision, fostering communication, identifying areas of collaboration, and celebrating success stories to inspire continued collaboration.
PFI, as an association, is committed to promoting co-creation and collaboration among members and stakeholders to accelerate the achievement of SDGs and climate goals. One way to achieve this is by strengthening the network of members and stakeholders to facilitate sharing of ideas, best practices, and resources through the Cluster activities. PFI also aims to develop a shared vision for achieving SDGs and climate goals that will align the efforts of all stakeholders towards a common goal. The association fosters communication among its members to keep everyone informed and engaged in ongoing efforts. PFI identifies areas where members can collaborate to achieve shared goals and celebrates the success stories of its members to encourage continued collaboration and inspire others to join the efforts.